Every year my husband, Larry, and I make sure we get in at least a couple weeks of RV camping. We took my 8-year-old granddaughter, Lucy, with us and spent a great week at Verona Beach State Park. While we were camping, I got a phone call from Casey. “Hey Mom! Guess where I am?” Casey had been in NYC on CPWLF business and was making his way back to Chicago through New York. He invited us to join him for dinner in Skaneateles, NY – his place of choice, Rosalie’s. A friend of Casey’s, Philip Romano, a renowned restaurateur designed and built this authentic Tuscan-style restaurant in 1995. As our small group of family found our seats around the table and were settling in, my big decision was to order the Scallopine or the Braciole. Looking over our menus we exchanged the normal, “so how have you been” and “what’s new”. However, it didn’t take long before the conversation turned quite serious. From the head seat of our table, Casey’s voice called for our attention. He held his phone out so we could all see. There was a picture of a handsome young guy, in a wheelchair. Almost in an informal introduction, Casey said, “This is Lance.” “He suffered a spinal cord injury in a lacrosse game in May 2019.” Suddenly, what to have for dinner seemed so unimportant. Watching Casey’s facial expressions, I could feel the pain he felt in sharing this news. It was so clear to all of us as to why Casey had developed such a strong desire to support and inspire sick and injured lacrosse players. Everyone at the table went silent. In that very instant, we became mindful that our actions could improve things, that if we are willing to make a strong commitment to help a person in need, it will achieve good results. The Casey Powell World Lacrosse Foundation is doing just that. Meeting you, Lance, at Rosalie’s that night inspired me to write about you. I am asking each of you, my friends, reading this blog, to show your support in Lance’s time of trouble and to be the change that we all wish to see.
– Sue